LCDR R class
| LCDR R class | |
|---|---|
 No. 1675 AT Tonbridge Locomotive Depot 18 mAY 1946 | |
| Specifications | |
| Power type | Steam |
| Designer | William Kirtley |
| Builder | Sharp, Stewart & Co |
| Serial number | 3722–3739 |
| Build date | September–December 1891 |
| Total produced | 18 |
| Configuration | 0-4-4T |
| Driver diameter | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Wheelbase | 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m) |
| Locomotive weight | 49.75 long tons (50.55 t) |
| Fuel capacity | 2 long tons (2.0 t) |
| Water capacity | 1,100 imp gal (5,000 l) |
| Boiler pressure | 150 psi (1.0 MPa) |
| Firegrate area | 16.25 sq ft (1.510 m2) |
| Heating surface: – Total | 1,071 sq ft (99.5 m2) |
| Cylinders | Two, inside |
| Cylinder size | 17 in × 24 in (430 mm × 610 mm) |
| Train brakes | Westinghouse |
| Career | |
| Railroad(s) | LCDR » SECR » SR » BR |
| Class | R |
| Number in class | 18 |
| Number |
LCDR: 199–216 SECR: 658–675 SR: A658–A675; 1658–1675 BR: 31658–31675 |
| Nicknames | Bobtails |
| Withdrawn | May 1940 – December 1955 |
| Disposition | All scrapped |
The LCDR R class was a class of 0-4-4T locomotives on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR). No. 207 (eventually no. 31666) is notable as being the last former LCDR locomotive to be withdrawn from service.[1] The whole class was fitted with condensing apparatus for working on the Widened Lines.[2]
History
For many years the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) had favoured the 0-4-4T wheel arrangement for suburban and stopping passenger trains, and when more were required in 1890, consideration was given to ordering a further batch of the existing A2 class 0-4-4T (introduced 1883); it was then decided that a modified design was required.[3] The R class locomotives were designed by William Kirtley as a development of his earlier A2 class,[3] and 18 were built by Sharp, Stewart & Co in 1891.[4][5]
Numbering
Their LCDR numbers were 199–216, which under the South Eastern and Chatham Railway became 658–675 from 1899.[4] They were renumbered three more times: to A658–A675 by the Southern Railway (SR) from 1923; to 1658–1675 by the SR from 1931; and to 31658–31675 by British Railways from 1948.
Withdrawal
Three (nos. 1664, 1668 & 1669) were withdrawn in 1940 to provides spares for the others,[1] and withdrawal of the rest occurred between 1949 and 1955.[6]
| Year | Quantity in service at start of year | Quantity withdrawn | Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 18 | 3 | 1664, 1668, 1669 |
| 1949 | 15 | 1 | 31672 |
| 1951 | 14 | 3 | 31659, 31667, 31670 |
| 1952 | 11 | 5 | 31658, 31665, 31673–31675 |
| 1953 | 6 | 3 | 31660, 31662, 31663 |
| 1954 | 3 | 1 | 31671 |
| 1955 | 2 | 2 | 31661, 31666 |
See also
Notes
References
- Bradley, D.L. (March 1979) [1960]. The Locomotive History of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway (2nd ed.). London: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-47-9.
- Bradley, D.L. (1960). The Locomotives of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway (1st ed.). London: RCTS.
- Smith, Martin (1994). Steam on the Underground. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-2282-8.
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